Get out of jail NOT free
by mr.finkles-parade
Summary: When Gwenith purchases a forged painting from Redd's shop, she is arrested by the HRA. She turns to her friends for help, but they all abandon her in her time of need, and she is forced to make new ones. Will Gwenith be able to make it out alive?


I walk over to Redd's shop. A rather dodgy part of town, if you ask me. The sky is sprinkled with stars. I knock on the door, once, twice, thrice. No answer. I bang my fists on the door, shouting at Redd. He finally opens the door.

"We're closed. Oh, it's cousin Gwenith! Why don't you come on in? Boy, have I got some great deals for you!" he says, swinging the door wide open, letting me in. "After you, cuz."

I walk in and stroll through the little store. I see a vintage clock that has stopped ticking long ago, a couch in the shape of a banana and a beat up guitar. Then I spy the prettiest piece I've ever laid eyes on. It's a painting. A most marvelous one, with thousands of colors, designs, and shapes. I ask Redd how much the beauty is.

"Ah, that one is called "Wonderfully Spectacular Painting". Just bought this one from a tough bargainer, but Redd's giving you a CRAZY deal. This painting, for only 4,568 Bells. What do you say?" Redd explains.

"Oh, wow. 4,568 Bells. That's not so much, is it?" I ask.

"Oh, no, cousin! Not at all," he responds.

"Well… I… I'll take it!" I say, taking out my wallet.

"Crazy deal, right cuz?" Redd says, excited.

"Yup. There you go. 4,568 Bells." I say, handing over the precious money and snatching for the fabulous painting.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Redd says, slapping my hand away from it. I wince in pain. "Let me get that for you." He takes the painting off its stand and sticks it in a box. He hands me the box.

He then shoos me out the door, like he's nervous about something. I have my suspicions. "Have a great night cousin!" He glances both ways before breaking into a sprint away from the store.

"You too," I call after him, but it's no use. He's already far away.

I walk slowly to the bus stop and wait about five minutes. The bus comes, and I hop on.

"Hey, Kapp'n," I say, taking a seat near the front of the bus.

"Yar, me wee sea cucumber. How be the bright lights o' the city? Ye be enjoyin' yerself? You lasses always do," Kapp'n responds.

"Yeah, the city was great. I just bought the most incredible painting from Redd's shop!" I tell him.

"Redd's, you say? Ye be careful, Gwenith, for ol' Redd is known for trickin' ya. Full o' scams, that evil critter is."

"Oh, don't worry Kapp'n. I've bought from him a bunch of times, and it was fine. Why should now be any different?" I say, rather matter-of-factly.

"Jus' be careful, is all I'm sayin'. Ya never know." Kapp'n looks out into the poorly lit sky. "Ah, and Supatown be just around the corner!"

He lets me off near the Main Gate, the usual spot. I walk down to the small brick bridge and walk across. I pass Curly, Ankha, Frobert, Biskit, and Del's houses. I reach the little pond next to my house. I take out my keys and unlock the front door. I sit on a frog chair and unwrap my beautiful painting. I stick it on the wall near my chair. I stand up and admire it from afar for a few minutes, and then grab some pajamas from my closet. I walk up the stairs to my bedroom.

I change into my pajamas and take the magazine off my night table and start to read it. It's for GracieGrace. The new Winter/Fall catalog is so glamorous, and I desperately long for an original GracieGrace design. I've a few, more than my friends, but I wish to be a celebrity someday, with a huge mansion, lots of furniture, billions of Bells and a million closets full of GracieGrace clothing. I drift off to sleep with the happy thought of being rich and famous.

I am awoken by the jingling of keys. That can only be the sound of the Happy Room Academy. Nothing is worse than being awake for one of those evaluations, so I pretend to be asleep, listening to the scratching of pens and the murmuring of the judges. The keys jingle again, and the door closes. But then there is a slamming noise on the door. I walk cautiously down the stairs to see what the problem is.

I go to the door to find I can't open it. I yank the doorknob, kick the door, ram against it, everything. I walk back up stairs and call Rover, fuming.

"What's going on here?" I scream into the phone. "I'm locked IN my house!"

"Whoa whoa whoa. Hold up now. You say you're locked _in_? That's odd. I'll be right over." Rover responds, and then the line goes dead. I suspect he's hung up.

I sit downstairs and wait. For what seems like hours, I wait. I become nervous that I shall be locked in here forever, for I know no one else's number, and Rover may very well have died on the trip here, though I can't imagine how.

Finally, I hear a knock on the door. I start to get up, then sit back down and shout, "Really, Rover?"

"Oh, right!" Rover's voice says, followed by a loud scraping sound, a crash and then the jingling of keys again, and then Rover appears in the front door.

"Yeah. So did you know that there was a sign nailed to your door that says: 'Closed?'" Rover says.

"Well, what does that mean, 'closed?'. I live here! They can't close my house! That's absurd." I grumble. When Rover doesn't answer, I say, "Well? What's the matter?"

"Hold on a moment. I'm inspecting the house for myself," Rover responds, surveying the room very carefully. He reaches my precious painting, and takes it off the wall.

"Hey, wait! Put that down! I just got that yesterday for 4,568 Bells at Redd's shop!" I exclaim, running to my painting.

Rover freezes. "From WHERE?"

"Redd's. Got a problem?"

"Uh, yeah! All of Redd's paintings are _forged_!!! You've been closed down! That means you're ARRESTED!" Rover shouts.

I'm completely silent. I cannot believe what has happened. But now it all makes sense! Why Redd ran away so fast, why it was so expensive, why he was so eager to sell it to me! I'm furious. I start slowly, "So you mean to say… that I've been arrested… for paying 5,000 Bells… for a piece of FAKE JUNK???"

"Well, actually, it's 4,568 Bells, but…" Rover says timidly.

"Gosh darn it, Rover! I don't really give a hoot about the extra 432 Bells that I left off in my explanation! I've just been arrested! Put in the slammer!" I exclaim, running around the room, knocking stuff over.

"Gwenny! Relax! S'all good! I can bail you out!" Rover says calmly, coming over to comfort me.

I shrug him off. "It's not 'all good'! And I'm _not_ 'Gwenny'!" I step on his foot and shove him out the front door.

I slam down in a chair, huffing. Then I realize that I have time to escape. I start stuffing everything I own into a sack. I run out the door, and head straight for the Main Gate.

"Goin' on a trip, nyoink?" Curly calls out as I whiz past him.

"Uh huh!" I reply, picking up speed.

I race into the building and practically fall on top of Copper, the sentry guard.

"Ah, hello, Gwenith! As the day nears its end, watch your step!" Copper says.

"It's not the end of the day, dummy! Anyway, I've got to get out of town, and quick!" I say, panting.

"Excellent! I shall now initiate the Wi-Fi Connections…" Copper closes his eyes for a second, then says, "Now I will search for an open gate."

I wait for him to open his eyes, but nothing happens. Then, they snap open. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I am unable to find a town with an open gate!"

"What? I don't care! Just get me out of here! I need to leave! I'm desperate!" I shout at the top of my lungs. My heart thumps against my chest, and I fear it shall fall out of my body if it bangs any harder.

"Well, for that, I'll need some identification," Copper says calmly.

"Sure! Fine! Whatever it takes!" I yell, breaking open my sack. My shopping card isn't there. "Uh hold on just one second…"

I search my pockets, and I find nothing more than some oranges, a fish, two shirts, some letters and a pair of sunglasses. I cry out, "Wait! I'll be right back!"

I sprint back home, nearly running into several trees. I reach my door and rip off the sign, and notice that silly Rover left his keys in the door, again. I turn them and I run inside, looking everywhere for my shopping card. Finally I reach my valuables box, and I gasp in rage at what I find in there. It's a note. From the Happy Room Academy.

Dear Gwenith,

We have found a violation of the law in your house. Your eval? 0 points. Check out our model room. It's got a theme. It's patriotism. You stealing? Not patriotic. We've confiscated your shopping card. BANG!

Lyle.

I cry my eyes out, in great, heaving sobs. My tears smudge the page, and I throw it in the air. Anger builds up inside my muscles, but I can't express it in any way. I grab my letter and run to Bones's house. I know I can count on him.

There's another note on his door.

I have left town.

Bones.

"Ahh!!" I scream, using all my left over energy, go to Curly's house. He sees my distressed state and lets me in.

I show him the letter. He reads it with concern.

"Whoa, wait! You stole something?" Curly asks.

"No, but I bought a painting from Redd's, so they confiscated my shopping card and arrested me! But there aren't any gates open so I can't leave town, and then I went to Bones house, and he moved out, so I came here cause I know I can trust you.

"Uh, sorry to break it to you Gwenith, but I can't keep you here! Then _I'll _get arrested! You can't stay here."

I choke on my sobs, rolling around on the floor. Then I'm hit with an idea. I gather my things and go to the Main Gate, grab my sack and run to the bus station. I wait impatiently for the bus. When it finally comes, I eagerly get on.

"Kapp'n, it's an emergency. Get me to the city, and quick," I say, going for a seat towards the front. But what I see there kills me the most out of everything this morning. On my last hope of getting out of town safely, there's Lyle and the rest of the judges from the HRA. On the bus.


End file.
